A Beauty By Any Other Name:
The Century Ride

Once again this year, the Reston Bicycle Club took to the trails and back roads of Loudoun County for their Century Ride on Sunday, August 27, 2006; it was a Beauty. There were over 1000 bicycle riders out there. The volunteers of Loudoun County Chapter of the American Red Cross, with support from the members of the Virginia Defense Force and local Boy Scout Troops, provided Rest Stop facilities. The Loudoun Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the Loudoun Amateur Radio Group (LARG) supported the Chapter's operation, the riders, and the road assistance services with portable and mobile amateur radio communications and Automatic Position Reporting System capabilities throughout Loudoun County. This year, Gary Quinn - NC4S, an Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Loudoun County ARES organized the communications support and directed the operations of Loudoun ARES and the LARG from his home station near Waterford, Virginia.

The Red Cross Waterford Rest Stop Welcomed The Veteran Riders As They Prepare For The Last Legs To Ashburn and Reston

The Communications Operation

Amateur radio communications was fully integrated into every aspect of this operation. Thirty-five amateur radio operators from throughout Loudoun and neighboring communities deployed and operated across a 600 square mile area of Northern Virginia. A well conducted voice network comprised of over twenty fixed, mobile or portable amateur radio stations provided communications service to four Red Cross Rest Stops, the Reston Bicycle Club start - finish facility at the Reston Town Center, four Reston Bicycle Club mobile SAG road assistance service vehicles, an American Red Cross mobile operational unit, a central net control and communications operations center station, three mobile roving communications units, three on-route bicycle mobile units, and several embedded Red Cross workers. Communications were conducted on a 2-Meter simplex frequency with alternates, as necessary, designated on other 2M and 70 cm band frequencies and included, if necessary, the Dulles Amateur Radio Group 2-Meter Repeater. Many of the fixed and most the mobile amateur radio units were equipped with Automatic Position Reporting System devices that provided vital location information to those responding to service requests. A special cross band repeater was installed at the Reston Town Center to communicate down into the the actual start-finish area. The amateur radio operators deployed with their personal equipment; many were well packaged and protected for the times when conditions would get worst. This operation was a good operational, as well as, excellence training experience for all.

This was a real operational communications network. It unfolded like we would respond to any emergency communications need: as in a real hurricane or flood emergency, the operations plan was finalized and published only three days before deployment, there was a late night pre-deployment on-the-air coordination meeting, units and personnel deployed early and on time throughout the service area, and the operation supported real Red Cross and like on-road emergency needs. These dedicated amateurs rolled at o-dark-thirty and stayed on the job till near sundown. Mutual communications support was provided by Clarke County ARES which operated the Hillsboro Rest Stop station in northwest Loudoun. All aspects of communications services seemed to be a step or two above the efficiency and effectiveness of the 2005 operation; this can be credited to the many training and operational exercises conducted under the auspices of the Loudoun County ARES organization.

The Hamilton Rest Stop

The Hamilton Red Cross Rest Stop In The Early Morning

Hamilton is thirty-some miles into the Century and the community park in the center of the village is a natural facility to establish and operate a rest stop. The century and metric course riders rely on this support and the first riders arrive before 8 in the morning. Hamilton gets very busy early but is able to closed by 2 PM. Similar community centers - like elementary and middle schools - in the Hamilton area would also be available if other emergencies arise. There were more than a dozen volunteers from the Red Cross and the Loudoun Amateur Radio Group deployed in Hamilton. The Reston Bicycle Club positioned one of the commercial bicycle repair service operation here. Hamilton also served as a Red Cross staging site for resupply to other sites in northern and western Loudoun.

Hamilton Station

John Unger - W4AU of Hamilton was the Station Captain at the Hamilton Red Cross Rest Stop. John deployed very early and was on the air at 7 AM with both 2-Meters voice and APRS capabilities. His station was powered by emergency 12-volt dc long-last deep-cycle batteries. Many road service operators staged out of Hamilton. John had good voice communications with all fixed stations throughout central and northwestern Loudoun.

John Unger's APRS from his laptop computer's UIView display of central Loudoun County at Hamilton Station

Janice Fristad - KI4NAP, XYL of Chris - KT9N,
working for the Red Cross at the Hamilton Rest Stop

Janice reports that she is working hard on her Charlie Whiskey - Great !!!

Red Cross volunteers help as the fastest of the fast arrive by 7:30 AM

Larry Hughes - K3HE does the rider count at the Hamilton Rest Stop as a Red Cross volunteer

Steve Greene - KS1G/Bicycle-Mobile made the entire Century Route

The Hillsboro Rest Stop

The Red Cross Rest Stop at the Hillsboro Elementary School
maintained with help from the local Boy Scout Troop

The Red Cross Hillsboro Rest Stop is the most northern stop and is situated with the local elementary school. The best riders come here.
It's the second to close by mid-afternoon. There were ample supplies staged here by the Red Cross and the local Boy Scout Troop helped with all the preparations. Located on US Route 9 it is a natural support site for northwest Loudoun and folks traveling further into West Virginia.

Hillsboro Station

The members of the Clarke County Amateur Radio Emergency Service installed and operated the Hillsboro Station in a mutual support role. It was a well equipped station and had good communications with all stations in the network. Loudoun really appreciates the support from our neighboring county.

Mark Gribble - K4GYT's and Tom Martin - KF4TNX's
Calling Cards

There was plenty of portable power here

Mark Gribble - K4GYT and Tom Martin - KF4TNX from Clarke County
installed, manned and operated the Hillsboro Station

The well equipped Hillsboro Station

The Red Cross supply depot in the northern part of the county

The Waterford Rest Stop

The Red Cross Rest Stop at the Waterford Elementary School

The Red Cross Waterford Rest Stop is in north-central Loudoun and is co-located with the Waterford Elementary School. Riders passing through here are on a big mission and look forward to the last two legs of the Century. There was a special ice-cone machine here and demanded a lot of support as it was very popular with all the riders. Waterford would not close to later in the day as support folks would run the routes from Hamilton and Hillsboro checking for any stray riders. So, with Hamilton and Hillsboro closing earlier, a lot of road service personnel would collect here during the late afternoon.

Waterford Station

The Waterford Station commands some high terrain and provides a natural site, if necessary, as an alternate net control station. Paul - N4PD and Nancy - KE5RTP Dluehosh of Leesburg were the captains for this location and were supported by Don Nicolson - KC1AT, Tom Carney - WB9RXJ and Chuck Graham - KI4IEO. Paul deployed a large 2M and 70CM multi-phased vertical that provided good communications throughout the county.

Paul - N4PD and Nancy - KE4RTP Dluehosh
Station Captains at Waterford

Don Nicolson - KC1AT helped at the Waterford Station

Tom Carney - WB9RXJ operates the Waterford Station

We Need More Ice !!!

Towards the end of the day, many folks make it into Waterford as the northwestern routes close down

Automatic Position Reporting System

Dave Putman - KE4S mans his APRS Station - KE4S-6

The portable APRS station - KE4S-6

The APRS antenna on the LARG mobile tower

Ashburn Station

The Ashburn Red Cross Rest Stop is the first and last stop for all riders. So, it opens very early and is the last to close. Sorry we have no photographs of the Ashburn action this year. The Ashburn site is located with the fire station and is another natural for support operation.

Bill Buchholz - K8SYH of Potomac Fall was the Ashburn Station Captain and was assisted by Aaron Reed - WA1TDQ of Reston, Grant Russell - KB3EMT of Round Hill,
Brian Cochran - WC4J of Manassas, and Pam Bozzi - N4OPN of Round Hill. The Ashburn Station had good communications with all but the Hamilton Station. The Ashburn Station was given Net Control duties after all western route were cleared of riders and it was confirmed that the last riders were well onto the W&OD trail. By 5:30 PM on Sunday evening, control was further rolled up to the Reston Town Center and within the hour all stations were closed.

Reston Town Center Station

The Reston Town Center on a quiet Sunday morning

The riders check their registrations before starting out

The Reston Bicycle Club had over 1100 riders registered for this event. We counted about 800 who made it to Hamilton

This is a nice start and finish line

Reston Town Center Station

The Reston Town Center Station is one or more handheld 70-cm transceivers walking around the enclosed square of the Reston Town Center. Talking in and out of the center is via a crossband repeater setup on the top floor of the large parking lots that surround the center. The repeater site commands an clear view well into to central Loudoun.

Denny - KF4TJI and Carol - KF4TJJ Boehler of Leesburg were on station well before sunrise to install their crossband repeater high on top the parking garages at the Reston Town Center.

Carol KF4TJJ and Denny - KF4TJI Boehler
at their crossband repeater site

The Crossband Repeater

Bill Frisbie - W3EMH of Sterling and Alex Hagerty - KG4VXP of Fairfax Station operate from the floor of the Town Center
With the crossband repeater, it was easy to talk across Loudoun with a 70-cm handheld

Close Station - March Order

We all started before sunrise; some one-thousand riders and well over 100 support personnel spread out across Loudoun County. It was a Beauty. By early afternoon some - like Hamilton and Hillsboro - were closing station. Waterford was next around 5 PM; followed by Net Control as operations transitioned to eastern Loudoun with Ashburn and the Reston Town Center finishing around 6 PM.

This was a smooth operation: no one got hurt, no county emergency services were dispatched and more riders learned to read 'stop signs' thanks to tickets from the sheriff's office. We knew what to expect and where to go and we could hear each other. This was an orderly operation with few mistakes and left all with a good feeling that we could do this again.The message: Count On Us !!!